Managing chronic pain in an age of addiction

Managing chronic pain in an age of addiction

Akhtar Purvez

Book - 2018

As a nation, we are facing an unprecedented opioid crisis that is killing more than 65,000 people a year. It is destroying our families and decimating our neighborhoods. And it is costing us billions. As more and more people are dealing with chronic pain, and as the opioid crisis reaches epic proportions, alternative approaches to understanding pain and its management are necessary. Here, Dr. Akhtar Purvez, a seasoned researcher, pain specialist, and pain advocate, offers basic information about pain and pain conditions and considers how we approach pain from cultural, biological, and medical perspectives. He discusses the latest minimally invasive, interventional approaches like nerve blocks and ablation procedures, and neuromodulation tec...hniques like peripheral nerve, spinal cord, and brain stimulation. The uses of marijuana and associated interventions is reviewed, and Purvez walks readers through the process of assessing pain, finding a doctor who can treat it, and methods for coping with pain through non-medical approaches like meditation. Anyone coping with pain or helping someone who is will find here a ready resource that offers hope and understanding.

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Subjects
Chronic pain > Treatment > Popular works.
Pain > Treatment.
Chronic pain > Treatment > Methods.
Chronic pain > Psychological aspects.
Chronic pain > Complications > Methods.
Published
Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
Akhtar Purvez (author)
Other Authors
John C. Rowlingson (-)
Physical Description
xiv, 199 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781538109236
  • Foreword
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction: A Long Way from Kashmir
  • 1. Medications That Relieve Pain-and Kill
  • 2. The Opioid Epidemic That Is Killing Us
  • 3. On Addiction Management
  • 4. The Mystery of Pain
  • 5. The Complex Nature of Chronic Pain
  • 6. The Culture of Pain
  • 7. The Stigma of Pain
  • 8. Sad but True-Chronic Pain and Depression
  • 9. Obesity and Chronic Pain
  • 10. Finding the Right Specialist
  • 11. Searching for the Cause of Pain
  • 12. Fibromyalgia Becomes Real
  • 13. Other Pain Conditions
  • 14. Getting Moving-Exercise and Physical Therapy
  • 15. Interventional Pain Management
  • 16. Alternative Management Options
  • 17. Marijuana-the Mystery Drug
  • 18. Pain in the Courtroom
  • 19. Coexisting with Pain
  • 20. Toward a Pain-Free Future
  • Notes
  • Index
  • About the Author
Review by Booklist Review

No one wants to live in pain, but no one wants to get addicted to opioids, either. Purvez, a pain physician, looks at multiple ways to safely provide relief. He notes that the most important question to be answered is, How can I fix this? If the response is, You can't, the next question is, Then how can I learn to live with this to get the most out of my life? He also notes that pain is democratic, unimpressed by account or social standing. Pain management is a serious matter: sedating a patient too much on an operating table can, in rare cases, be fatal. Even seemingly innocuous medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can cause liver damage and death. Expect to learn a little history: doctors originally just prescribed opioids for cancer pain. It helps that Purvez comes across as a kind and interesting man. A native of Kashmir, which he notes gave the world the mythical paradise of Shangri-La, he writes about the patience and humility he learned in the country of his birth. This is an enlightening and important read.--Karen Springen Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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